WFP Rushes Food To Millions Of Hungry In The Horn Of Africa

9 August 2011

Howlwadag is one of 16 centres in Mogadishu where WFP provides hot meals for about 5,000 people per day. Most of them are displaced. Around 85,000 people are reached in Mogadishu through wet feeding.

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Since the beginning of July, WFP has reached nearly 8 million people in the Horn of Africa with food assistance. WFP is targeting 11.5 million people out of more than 13 million people affected by drought and famine in the region, with governments and other partners supporting the rest.

NAIROBI –WFP on Tuesday started a series of nine airlifts to Mombasa, Kenya, carrying enough high-energy biscuits to feed 1.6 million people for a day. The biscuits are being pre-positioned for delivery to vulnerable people throughout the Horn of Africa.

A cargo aircraft landed in Nairobi on Monday evening carrying a shipment of a nutrient-enriched food product called PlumpySup, which is tailored to meet the needs of children under five.

The flight, donated by the international shipping company TNT, delivered enough PlumpySup to feed almost 16,500 malnourished children for a month. So far, some 86 metric tons of Plumpy Sup has been airlifted to Mogadishu—enough to feed some 30,000 malnourished children under five for a month.

Gathering speed

In total, WFP is working to deliver 2,000 metric tons of Plumpy sup to children in the Horn of Africa over the next two months, in addition to 2,000 tons of high-energy biscuits and 10,000 metric tons of another specialised food product called “Super Cereal”.

Super Cereal is a corn and soya-based blended food fortified with essential micronutrients, dried milk powder, sugar and fat, used for moderately malnourished children from 6 to 23 months old.

In Ethiopia, food distributions have started for refugees who have been transferred to the newly-opened camp in Haloweyn. The camp is expected to reach about 15,000 residents by the end of this month.

WFP is providing special nutrition products to all children under age five in the refugee camps and the transit centre in Ethiopia – a total of about 42,000 children.

In Kenya, the first cycle of August general food distributions has started in the camps for registered refugees. New arrivals receive a one-day ration of biscuits and general rations for 21 days. If they are still not registered by the end of that period, they continue receiving rations.

Stepping up

Online donations to WFP’s Horn of Africa appeal have surpassed $3 million, with more than 34,500 donors giving an average gift of about $90 each, through online and SMS donations.

Hunger can be eliminated in our lifetimes

This requires comprehensive efforts to ensure that every man, woman and child enjoy their Right to Adequate Food; women are empowered; priority is given to family farming; and food systems everywhere are sustainable and resilient.